Chapter 21: Chapter 21

Despite the dead of night, the noise outside was thick with activity as the soldiers of the 11th Regiment remained alert. It made it all the more annoying for Azula as she was stuck in her tent as a precaution, and was kept from observing events unfold. Neither Xing nor her bodyguards had budged on that.

She’d only heard the muted echoes of explosions at first, and despite her annoyance at being kept in her tent initially, the princess also acknowledged that she felt some apprehension. She wanted to brush it off as a concern for the regiment’s reputation, but each blast that filtered into her tent brought with it an afterimage of an infuriating boy with white flames.

It didn’t help that Azula immediately shot up from her bed when she heard mutterings of the colonel returning, before her mind could actually properly process the muted whispers.

Why was she so worried about XIng? The rational part of the girl knew that he would most likely be fine, that the boy did not seem the type to take overly reckless risks.

But a niggling, confusing, and - worst of all - growing part of her worried away at the possible ‘non-zero’ chance of a freak occurrence that might leave Xing as brutalized as the corpses she saw days ago. That the boy might come back maimed or worse.

So when Xing stepped into her tent, Azula felt the foreign sensation of relief to see him whole and unharmed. The princess fought back the urge to run up to him for some reason, and to grab him by the shoulders to make sure he was truly alright.

It rankled her that she couldn’t properly rein in her…her emotions. It was even more annoying to have to admit to herself that she was feeling something towards Xing beyond admiration.

“The attack went off about as well as we could expect,” the colonel reported with a satisfied smirk that Azula was becoming familiar with.

It took her a couple of seconds to untangle the words in her head and formulate a response, but thankfully Xing didn’t react to the lapse. “Ah… I…take it from your pleased expression that you’re expecting nothing but good results?”

“I do not want to jinx it, but we began with a decent advantage, your highness. It shouldn’t take long before we receive the results.”

Azula feigned an unimpressed snort. She hoped it was convincing enough. “Well, it is a shame I can’t observe the attack directly. I am sure sharing the details of your Sonne tactic would bring some prestige to yourself and your regiment.”

Xing bowed a little, half as an apology and half to receive the compliment. “Unfortunately, such a tactic would only work with a sufficiently trained and experienced force, princess. And the cost of failure is as high as its rewards.”

“True,” she admitted. “But that would only further reinforce the 11th’s reputation.” Warming to the subject, Azula gave Xing a coy smile. “And don’t pretend that you don’t care for such things, Xing. Prestige can serve as a shield against more…unlikeable tasks in the future. And gaining recognition would allow you and I a say in determining where the regiment is sent.”

“You are right of course, princess,” the boy replied with a slightly lower bow. Azula accepted her little win with a smug smile. 

Silence followed shortly after, and Xing awkwardly filled it before it grew unwieldy. “Seeing how there’s no news of a retreat yet, it should be safe for you to exit your tent soon, your highness.”

“Well, isn’t that a relief...” Azula bit back the rest of her sentence, and sat back down on her bed as she regarded Xing. A new question formed in her head, one that was heavy and so reluctant to be voiced. It took some effort, but she eventually managed to raise it, almost gasping the words out.

“Would…would you wait with me?” She almost winced at how soft her voice sounded. It was unacceptably weak. But what’s done was done, and nervous trepidation slowly grew in her gut.

Xing was caught by surprise, judging from how he reeled a bit, and how his eyes went wide. He quickly recovered, glancing over his shoulders to the tent’s entrance, and then staring off into space for a second. Finally, he gave a shrug and a nod. “Mozi has the place running smoothly… I suppose if that’s what you wish, your highness, I will accompany you in your wait.”

Azula preemptively crushed the urge to jump with…joy…at his answer. “Thank- I mean, good. Please, make yourself comfortable while we await the results of your bold plan.”

She ignored the boy rolling his eyes, preferring instead to watch him draw up a stool to occupy. He sat almost ramrod straight, his eyes darting about every other second as if to scour the tent for any secrets. 

Inevitably, Azula found herself taking in more details about the colonel. The night raid outfit looked rather dashing on hi-

No! Not now!

“I hope Ren and Ping make for good counsel, princess?” Xing inquired, cutting through the brewing silence.

Azula almost sighed with relief at having a topic to cling on to. “Yes, quite so. It is…novel, to have captains instead of handmaidens. I’ve found their company to be…nice.” She almost scrunched her face up at how stilted her words were. It was pathetic. She was better than this.

Xing nodded as if he hadn’t noticed and moved the conversation along. “I’m glad that your highness overlooks our below-average etiquette.”

The princess snorted at that. “Please, you are all soldiers, not courtiers. I’m not so delusional as to expect the impossible. Besides, all your officers come from some level of nobility, so their behavior is more acceptable than most…” Azula smirked as she directed an arched brow at the colonel. “Like you for example.”

“I am grateful for your tolerance, princess,” he replied drily without missing a beat and gave a shallow bow. 

“Right that you are,” she retorted lightly, playing along. A commotion from outside interrupted the warming atmosphere, and Xing quickly got up into a combat stance. Only when his bodyguard Koshi appeared did the boy relax. Despite the disruption, Azula found the view of Xing’s protective stance - especially the view of his back - rather satisfying.

*****

“They’ve returned, sir,” Koshi reported and carefully ignored the annoyed look the princess sent his way. Unfortunately for her, the priorities of battle ranked much higher than private socializing. “It was an outright victory.”

Xing looked both relieved and surprised. “What kind of victory?”

“The enemy commander has surrendered, as has his force. Mozi is organizing Captains Kai and Ping to secure the prisoners and their resources.”

“Huh… I thought we were supposed to just raze as much as we could before withdrawing?”

The bodyguard shrugged. “Captain Weikong managed to seize the enemy colonel and force an end to the battle.” He paused for a moment before deciding to drop in a comment from Ren. “Apparently, the enemy ranks are almost entirely fresh off the training grounds according to Captain Ren and Scout Captain Sungho. Their appraisals on the age and skills of the Earth Kingdom soldiers were…harsh.”

“I see. And casualties?”

“Yet to be determined, sir. Lieutenant colonel Mozi would have a clearer picture.”

Xing gave a curt nod before turning to the royal princess. “Princess Azula, would you care to join us?”

Koshi led them out towards Mozi, regimental and royal bodyguards forming a protective perimeter around the two young teens.

“Colonel. Princess.” Mozi was smiling, which probably meant that the price of victory would be cheap. That, or Li Ming was just here. Or perhaps even both. “We’ve got word that casualties on our end are light. No more than a dozen fatalities overall, with maybe double the number of that being serious wounds. Everything else is just minor injuries. I’ve roused Elder Kilin and her healers already, so we shouldn’t lose anyone else.”

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Xing’s gaze became speculative. “Veterans?”

His lieutenant shook his head. “For better or worse, it’s only the newer intake that lost their lives.”

Definitely for better, Koshi believed, and he didn’t doubt that everyone around him thought the same.

“Have the waterbenders take care of the more serious cases first, then let them have their rest. The troops can sleep with some scratches.”

“Of course, colonel.”

They moved out of the camp and found the large harvest of prisoners slowly making their way towards them. Just outside the camp, the 11th Regiment’s soldiers along with their existing stable of earthbender prisoners hastily worked to raise a temporary prison camp to fit the new guests who numbered almost as many as the regiment itself.

“It seems that I overestimated Colonel Somsak,” Xing remarked neutrally.

Mozi gave a soft cough before he commented. “He put up a good fight, according to Weikong. But the men around him weren’t reacting to his orders. They probably didn’t recognize their colonel out of armor.”

Xing’s and the princess’ heads snapped towards Mozi at that, disbelief on their faces. The lieutenant colonel shrugged. “He could have been sent out here with an entirely new force. It’s not too uncommon… I remember back then, we met a few groups that were formed out of units dragged from various training grounds across the Earth Kingdom. The lieutenants knew their captains, but couldn’t point out their colonels or generals.”

“Easiest fights, those,” Bofang grunted, and Koshi nodded his agreement. “Sometimes they’d follow the wrong captain’s orders and their formation went straight to shit.”

Princess Azula looked almost hurt at hearing about the incompetence. “How is that possible?”

Mozi shrugged again. “The Earth Kingdom is a fractured realm. Spirits know what kind of mustering orders each state gets. And their main strategy often boils down to just throwing men at us anyway.”

“I guess it’s been working well enough that we haven’t taken over the whole place…” Xing noted, a frown forming on his face. The group’s attention was quickly taken up by the arrival of the three captains and their prize prisoner. Colonel Somsak only had a dented cuirass over his sleepwear, and was sweat-smeared with ash and soot all over.

Xing walked up to greet them, offering the prisoner a salute. “Colonel Somsak.”

“Colonel Xing,” the weary man sighed.

“Your seriously wounded will be tended tonight, everyone else will be looked over tomorrow and the days after.”

Colonel Somsak let out another sigh and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Considering what I learned about your force, you did well to even make it here,” Xing consoled, and the captains behind Somsak nodded almost sympathetically.

“The price of a promotion…” their prisoner replied, sighing yet again. “Spears and earthbenders from Gaoling to Yi, all under my command with barely a month to integrate them.”

“Someone wanted you gone then?”

“Perhaps… Or some bureaucrat-” The colonel’s voice was filled with venom as he spat out that word. “-just saw that the numbers would add into a fighting force.”

“Likely the latter,” Rufen muttered with almost equal distaste. “A court strategist maybe just wanted to muster armies and didn’t think about anything else.”

Heads bobbed in annoyed nods at that, and Koshi almost joined in. They had seen their share of incompetence from the capital.

“Anyway, you’ll be shown to your tent, colonel. You’re familiar with General Yama?”

“Unfortunately so.”

Xing gave a sympathetic nod. “We’ll put you and your officers in an opposite corner. Hopefully it keeps the old badgermole from pestering you about your return.”

“My thanks.” Colonel Somsak said and managed a weak smile.

As the captains led the captured colonel into the camp’s prison tents, Koshi noticed the shocked face of Princess Azula watching them go. “How…is the Earth Kingdom that incompetent?” she asked once they were gone.

“Not always, but it happens, like Mozi said.” Xing turned and began to lead the princess back into camp. “And it’s not like they’re the only ones guilty of it.”

Koshi almost stumbled, and Mozi looked like he would physically stop the colonel from damning himself with potentially treasonous talk. But Princess Azula merely gave them a glare and gestured for Xing to continue.

“Beyond Shiluo and our regiment, I’ve seen Colonel Yashen’s company receiving crates of cooking cleavers instead of the warcleavers he requested.” Despite the admittedly funny incident, Koshi found no humor at the moment, not when Xing was speaking so freely.

“Also, I think it was Colonel Sho who got reinforced by a military band from another company. They were all firebenders, but the colonel asked for more firebenders, so, I guess…?”

“Colonel Koda,” Mozi corrected with a strained whisper.

Xing didn’t let that amendment stop him. “And then there’s the time we got spear shafts without the steel tips… Apparently those were in a separate shipment and got delayed for some reason.”

Princess Azula glared at the colonel for a second before conceding with a nod. “It seems there is much going on beyond the royal court’s reports. I will have to look into the matter when I return.”

“Your highness is most generous with her diligence.”

Koshi went out of his way to smack his charge across the back of his head. That the princess was letting him off with his blunt words was generous already, the boy didn’t have to push his luck with sarcasm.

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